Mercerization



. UNITED STATES PATENT omcs.

SAMUEL MANSFIELD .J'ONES, OF NORTH ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ARNOLD PRINT WORKS, OF NORTH ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS, -A CORPORATION- OF MASSACHUSETTS.

No Drawing.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL MANSFIELD- invented new and useful Improvements in Mercerization, of which the following is a description. i

This invention particularly relates to a method of mercerizing cellulosic fibers of natural growth such as cotton or linen, when interwoven or intermingled with filaments of artificial silkknown as viscose, while at the same time protecting'such viscose fila ments from deleterious attack by the caustic alkali em loyed for mercerization.

Letters atent No. 1,316,958, were granted to me September 23, 1919, for an invention which accomplished by its own particular 2 method therein set forth the novel utility just specified; but I-,have discovered that other methods are available for accomplishing the like ultimate result, and that among these isthe method herein described which involves the modification of the caustic alkali solution used for mercerization by introducing into it mono-acetyl-glycerin, which is otherwise known in chemical nomenclature as an acetic acid ester of glycerol or more specifically monacetin.

For the purpose of the present invention I find-it practically satisfactory to compose the Iner'ceriz'ing liquid by adding monacetin in the proportion of 181 grams to 819 grams of an aqueous solution of sodium hydrate at 70 Twaddell. This proportion is not rigid; but if the ratio of the quantity of monacetin to that of the-caustic alkali in solution at the hydrometric density stated is 40 much less than the ratio just indicated the viscose silk will not be adequately protected; and if such ratio is much greater the mercerizing efficiency of the caustic alkali thus modified will become impaired. Glycerin which by reason of its chemical classification as a trihydric alcohol has also. i been named glycerol, may under reaction with glacial acetic acid at different temperatures be converted into, three distinct'esters according as only one or each of two or all three of its'hydroxyl groups become displaced by substitution therefor respectively of acorresponding number of acetyl groups, whereby either monacetin oridiacetin or tri- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 12, 1920. Serial No. 380,890.

' MERCERIZATION.

Patented July 13, 1920.

acetin results. But in conducting this proc- '56 ess the 0btainment thereby of monacetin alone without accompanying production of some diacetin or even of some'triacetin requlres careful precaution. Hence the commercial product known in the market as acetin, and intended to be substantially monacetin, is likely to contain more or less diacetin and possibly triacetin, neither of which is capable of performing the functions of monacetin herein described. Never theless, the presence of such relatively small quantities of diacetin or of triacetin asmay ordinarily occur in commercial acetin does not seriously interfere with the'efliciency of its largely preponderant monacetin" in servingto modify the solution of caustic alkali forthe protection of viscose silk associated in a composite fabric with natural cellulosic fibers which are subjected to the process of mercerization.

Otherwise than such required modification of the mercerizing solution the treatment of the fabric into which mercerizablelcellulosic fibers such as cotton or linen have been interwoven with' viscose-silk filaments is substantially the same as that customarilyemployed in the mercerization of woven fabrics composed entirely of cotton including the usual means and modeof applying tension thereto for the prevention of shrinkage.

hereinabove provided, enables the process of mercerization to be successfully practised upon cellulosic fibers of natural growth. such as cotton or linen, while at the same time the viscose silk filaments interwoven with these are effectively protected against injuryfrom the caustic alkali; so that the resulting product is expeditiously obtained without incurring the extra expense and labor required for separately mercerizing the cellulosic'fibers in the. yarn beforeinterweavingthe same with the viscose silk.

Manifestly also this invention although especially well adapted for the production of woven mixed goods of the kind hereinabove referred to, may likewise baa-practised upon yarns or other unwoven textile fabrics which are composed partly of mercerizable cellulosic fibers such' as cotton or linen and partly of viscose-silk filaments and which,

are subjected to any well-known and acceptable process of mercerization suitable for imparting luster to the cellulosic components of a fabric thus constituted; except only that instead of employing therein the old mercerizing chemical agent alone there is to be substituted therefor a solution of caustic alkali modified by the addition of monacetin, whereby injury to the viscose components of the fabric is avoided.

I claim:

1. The method of treating textile fabrics composed of mercerizable cellulosic fibers intermixed with artificial silk filaments of viscose, for the purpose of mercerizing such cellulosic fibers Without injury to the viscose silk; by subjecting the composite fabric without injury to the viscose silk, by subjecting the woven fabric thus constituted to a process of mercerization wherein the solution of caustic alkali is modified by the addition theretoof monacetin.

3. The method of treating textile fabrics composed of cotton fibers intermixed with artificial silk filaments of viscose, for the purpose of mercerizing suchqcotton fibers without injury to the viscose silk, by subjecting the composite fabric thus constituted, to a process of mercerization wherein the solution of caustic alkali is'modified by the addition thereto of monacetin;

.4. The method of treating textile fabrics composed of cotton yarn interwoven with artificial silk filaments of viscose for the purpose of mercerizing the fibers of such cotton yarn without injury to the viscose silk, by subjecting the woven fabric thus constituted to a process of mercerization wherein the solution of caustic alkali is modified by the addition thereto of monacetin.

SAMUEL MANSFIELD JONES. 

